DESCRIPTION: Stability is a critical problem for commercializing biotechnologically produced proteins of therapeutic values. Dr. Dong proposes to contribute to the solution of this problem through the investigation of protein folding/unfolding by means of FT-IR monitoring of the amide I band. He will initially investigate the stability of model proteins as a function of guanidine hydrochloride. He plans to eventually expand the study of the unfolding model system to proteins with diverse secondary structures and higher degrees of thermal and chemical stabilities.